How To Drink Beer In Beer-Free League
Throughout the great country that we call our own, men of all ages gather to play slow pitch softball each summer. From 18-year-old, fresh out of high school graduates, to 55-year-old, former minor league no-names who just won’t let the dream go, slow pitch softball sees it all.
The only thing that makes the knockoff of America’s past time even more fun is…beer. Quite commonly, these slow pitch softball leagues are nicknamed “Beer Leagues”. Not just because 62.6% (estimated guess) of players have beer bellies, but because drinking beer is almost a requirement of the sport.
In multiple leagues in surrounding cities, you are allowed to drink beer as soon as you park your car. In the lot, in the dugout, beer is everywhere besides the field. The only league that has restrictions on beer consumption is Edwardsville’s own.
For most of the team’s in the Men’s A League, forfeiting beer isn’t as big of a deal. But for one team, beer drinking has remained a vital and necessary part.
To the 22U Tiger Select Softball team, beer is part of the weekly routine. While despising the league’s prohibition, they decided to take action. The team has found different ways to keep beer in the sport we all love, while remaining at the top of the standings and on the league’s good side.
In some cases, a designated driver is volunteered, sometimes weeks in advance. Then a bar, usually one located on main street (Laurie’s, Big Daddy’s, or Stagger Inn usually) is the place for pregame beer drinking. After one or two or five beers are down, and the tab begins to climb, these respected drinker-athletes are then delivered to the game.
“It sucks that we aren’t allowed bring a cooler to the fields, but then again, we still do,” says Luke Stolte, the team’s Owner, Treasurer, CEO, General Manager, Coach, and Shortstop.
Another method that has proved to be successful, is the ol’ “hiding the beer in a cooler in your trunk, and taking forever to get your gear from the back of it because your really drinking beer.” This method has a 100% success rate (confirmed by actual players on actual slow pitch softball teams).
“Yeah, usually we will just get a 12-pack of some kind of cans, and drink it right out the cooler, right out the trunk. It works every time,” says Dallas Levey (pictured below), a well-educated biology student at University of Illinois and third baseman for the team.
The 22U Tiger Select Team has found ways around these restrictions, but one player still hopes that one day the restriction may be overruled.
I sat down with Ben Link, the team’s first baseman. Link had a lot to say about the league’s position on beer drinking at the park:
“I dream of a league where we can have beer in the dugout. Where we can get beer from the concession stand, and have the freedom to consume alcohol in plane sight of the league workers.”
The Edwardsville Parks and Recreation system has no intention of changing the rule. Maybe someday the rule will be lifted and teams will have the freedom to drink beer during league play. Until then, trunk coolers and designated drivers are the only answer.